Primary School Places

THE PRINCE AND THE PROFESSOR: ROYAL TALKS ON CODES OF CONDUCT

Our Year 10 students were visibly delighted when their assembly was interrupted by a surprise visit from Prince William and acclaimed rapper Professor Green. They arrived with a purpose though, and that was to discuss the effects of cyberbullying and the impact it has on mental health.

The Prince expressed his concerns over the pressures that young girls face to today, with particular reference to the impact of social media. With girls trying to emulate famous personalities and reality stars who garner a solid fan-base by posting airbrushed and often unrealistic photographs of themselves.

He then moved on to the topic of mental health and told our students “don’t spend all day online. Seriously, don’t. For your mental health, get outside, come away from the screen.”

His sound advice was supported in kind by Professor Green (real name Paul Manderson) who spoke passionately about cyberbullying, whilst emphasising how difficult it can be to communicate the intention behind a message properly compared to when delivering the same message in person.

The assembly was wrapped up by our principal, Mr Ribton, who echoed the same sentiments when he said: “Bullying and inappropriate behaviour over the internet is a very real part of young people’s lives today. It’s sad that what ought to be a force for good in terms of connectivity, community and sharing can often be wrongly perceived by some as a “safe” place to be abusive or make threats.”